Iraq

w saves a buck

This entry was posted in bush Federal Government Iraq War on Terrorism on by

Apparently revervists called to active duty should not expect to get the same level of medical treatment as active duty personnel. They may not even get treated at all.
But, they will get all expenses paid living quarters:

Most soldiers in medical hold at Fort Stewart stay in rows of rectangular, gray, single-story cinder block barracks without bathrooms or air conditioning. They are dark and sweltering in the southern Georgia heat and humidity. Around 60 soldiers cram in the bunk beds in each barrack.
Soldiers make their way by walking or using crutches through the sandy dirt to a communal bathroom, where they have propped office partitions between otherwise open toilets for privacy. A row of leaky sinks sits on an opposite wall. The latrine smells of urine and is full of bugs, because many windows have no screens. Showering is in a communal, cinder block room. Soldiers say they have to buy their own toilet paper.

I do hope this story is proven wrong.
Via The Agonist.

What are we fighting for?

This entry was posted in bush Domestic Terrorism Iraq US Foreign Policy War on Terrorism on by

If this is it:

US soldiers driving bulldozers, with jazz blaring from loudspeakers, have uprooted ancient groves of date palms as well as orange and lemon trees in central Iraq as part of a new policy of collective punishment of farmers who do not give information about guerrillas attacking US troops.

then the rebuilding effort is truly broken and misnamed.
This terrorism is not something that any legitimate government supports.
For more detail and links see Electrolite and Whiskey Bar. Be sure to read the comment threads.
Via Mark Kleiman.